Hometown
by nuka-cherries
Summary: As the Guide of Time, Sheik followed the instructions of the goddesses and Impa as they were given, for he would much rather be spared Din's Wrath in consequence of meddling with the cryptic plans of the Golden Goddesses. But after Sheik finds Link bleeding out in the entrance of Kakariko Village, he is left with no choice but to help the Hero of Time recover from an animal attack.
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you to Moni, who has been with me with this fic since day (juan) one. ((Follow her on tumblr: celestialskys ))**

 **Also shoutout to Sincosma who is writing such a hella Sheik/Link (Congruent: archiveofourown works /3350486 / chapters/ 7330166) fanfic that got me inspired to make this one actually happen.**

 **This is my first ever fic for this wonderful game so hopefully, I give it justice! This has been in the works since June 21st of this year and I have been playing OoT alongside the progress of the fic. I will add additional warnings for some bits in future chapters.**

 **A lot of the characters in Kakariko Village don't have names that I could find so I gave them some. I obviously don't own Legend of Zelda: enjoy!**

* * *

Link was tired.

The battle with the Water Temple boss had been exhausting in all forms. Physically, Link was already sore to the core with swimming and it hurt terribly when he was flung against the wall multiple times by Morpha.

But mental exhaustion was the most.

A quite literal trial by water, Morpha was stronger than he had thought. But then again, every damn boss of the temples got harder and harder than the last. He still had burns from Volvagia on his right arm, from the slipup that came from realizing he couldn't use his shield while wielding the hammer.

The cool breeze of the winter settling into Hyrule made Link shiver. It didn't help that his tunic and pants were soaked to the bone, water sloshing uncomfortably in his stockings and boots. He was sure that his toes were numb and he reeked of the stagnant water that was in the Water Temple. Thankfully, it wasn't a swamp; if there's one thing he can't stand, it's humidity. Goddesses, humidity was the worst.

It was the true divine punishment.

Summers in the Kokiri Forest were composed of sticky humidity and the burning sun and Link so did not live for that. He rarely lived, that was the better answer. He would spend hours in the tiny creek that was more of a puddle or just stay in his home waiting for the cool breeze of the night time.

He received the medallion ( _"Take it with respect!"_ ) from Princess Ruto and got sent from the chamber to the Triforce crest in Lake Hylia. The lake filled up with clear, pure water again thanks to finally lifting the dark magic impeding it.

Although being in the Chamber of Sages healed his superficial wounds, his magic was running dangerously low, so he couldn't warp out of Lake Hylia right away. He had hit his right knee particularly hard against a spike when Morpha had flung him across the room and to his knowledge, nothing broke or bled. But it hurt a lot and he was going to need some red potion for that.

He looked around the small island clearing only to see white.

 _Wait, what?_

Across the now filled up lake, the grass was covered in a thin layer of white, as were the dark red roof tiles of the lakeside labortatory and the brown rooftop of the fisherman's hit. In the faint distance, he could see the two outlines of the scarecrows against the snow.. Everything was covered in a layer of white.

It had snowed while he was gone.

With a groan of frustration, Link exclaimed "Now where the hell is Sheik?!"

"Think he's late?" Navi asked.

This felt oddly out of character for the Sheikah. He always showed up after Link defeated a temple.

"No, he's never late. By now, he'd be here spouting cryptic poetry with the damn harp and avoiding social conversation."

"Like you're any better," Navi scoffed. "And it's a lyre."

"Same thing."

Link stepped off the Triforce platform and cursed when the snow on the island seeped into his boots. He shivered and tried to rub his hands onto his arms, not doing much to alleviate the cold.

"Y'know Navs, I wouldn't be as irritated of Sheik not being here if it wasn't so freaking COLD!" Link exclaimed. He hadn't been this on edge or irritated in their journey so far until now. He wanted to lay down somewhere dry and warm.

"Oh, you think I'm not cold?! Tiny bodies get colder faster! Including fairies!"

"Navi, I'm tired! I want to take a nap!"

"Last time you napped after anything pivotal, you _fell asleep for seven years!"_

"It was ONE TIME! The one time, and ONE TIME ONLY that I don't take your advice, I get hurt by sheer dumb luck and now you think you're 'blessed' by _Nayru_ with knowing everything that's going to happen."

"Have I been wrong so far?!" Navi demanded.

"..." Link couldn't answer that.

With a small huff, Navi turned around and flew forward. "Exactly!"

Following Navi's lead into the bridge, Link carefully walked to not hurt his knee even more. "Well, what am I supposed to do now, O Great Fairy Prophet of Nayru?" Link asked sarcastically.

"Well, you shut up for one."

"Rude."

"And, well, let's just go to Kakariko Village. It'll give you a chance to dry up, eat something, get some red potion and find a place to sleep for the night. And maybe that's where Sheik is," Navi said.

"Sheik? In Kakariko?" Link asked. He hadn't been to the village in a while.

"It's logical. Think about it. Former Sheikah village," Navi said. "Where else did you think he lived?"

"Pssh...Um, around? I know he used to live in the castle with Zelda. And he's not exactly the chattiest person around."

"He's from Kakariko too. It's also where his aunt Impa used to live."

"Wait, Impa? As in, Zelda's nanny, Impa?"

"More of a caretaker than a nanny, but yes."

Link stopped in his steps. "Impa is Sheik's aunt?!"

After a brief moment of silence, Navi turned slowly, her faceless body conveying so much disappointment and judgement in Link that he felt the temperature around them drop even colder.

"You are so dense."

"What the hell?!"

"Link, you were there when we met Sheik in the courtyard! Impa was there too! Remember? 'My name is Impa. I am Zelda's caretaker and Sheik's aunt.' That was how she introduced herself to us. And you forgot?!"

"Well excuuuuuuuuuuse me, Navi, for not remembering a memory from seven years ago!"

"Excuses."

His knee was aching and Link's step faltered.

"You okay?" Navi asked.

"I'm good," Link rubbed the side of his knee and after a few moments of massaging it, continued walking the bridge until he reached the shore.

"To Kakariko it is, then."

* * *

As Link left Lake Hylia, the sky began to darken. He shivered with every step he took, his knee aching in pain. Locks of his hair were still wet, but this time they stung when they touched the skin of Link's face. Every moment made his muscles sting in pain, cold snow sloshing into his boot uncomfortably.

Suddenly, he missed the stagnant warmth atmosphere of the Water Temple. It was sticky with humidity and the smell was disgusting, but it wasn't freezing or cold.

It never snowed with the Kokiri. When he was younger, the dreadful humid and barely tolerable dry summers were all he knew. In fact, he had no idea what snow was until he first saw snow on the banks of the Zora's River and Navi exclaimed "That's so much snow!"

As Link expected, Hyrule Field was covered in snow. It painted for a rather peaceful image, just an endless blanket of snow.

Link felt some of his steps waver as exhaustion rendered him dizzy. His stomach growled as he remembered all he had to eat the past two days were pieces of algae. His focus hazed out in lack of sleep, and walking began to feel impossi-

"Link, look out!"

Too late.

Suddenly, two White Wolfos emerged from the snow.

Link shook off what he could of the haze of exhaustion and drew the Master Sword and his shield, protecting himself against the blows of the two animals.

If they were simply a winter's version of a regular Wolfos, then he could defeat them, right? All they had different color coatings.

The fight was pathetically fast. But then again, what was Link expecting running on adrenaline and barely any sleep?

One Wolfo distracted Link with claws attacks while the other circled him. Link tried to move to a wall, but instead, he felt three sharp claws _tear_ through the fabric of the tunic and his skin down his back.

Link screamed.

Link grabbed the Master Sword and drove it right through the White Wolfos's throat. Blood splattered over his tunic and snow, more than was already spilled. Swinging the corpse off the sword, he turned and jammed it into the second Wolfo, screaming as it gave him one final scratch on his arm in the progress.

The fight was pathetically fast, but not as fast as the speed Link had when he passed out on the bloodstained ground.

* * *

Link stirred awake.

The night sky was fuzzy, with what was left visibly of the moon lighting up the sky.

"Link! Oh thank the goddesses!"

Navi?

The fairy came into view and Link struggled to ask what had happened.

"Come on, sit up!" Navi urged him. "Come on, Link, sit up! Play Epona's song, Link. Do something!"

Link shivered as he reached with his good hand for the Ocarina on his belt. The other arm was bleeding,

Link blew the notes of Epona's song into the Ocarina, each breath feeling like he was being set on fire by Din herself. It burned his lungs at how cold the air was.

He stumbled on the first attempt twice, the second time coming out in sputters, but finally with the third, came out fluidly with a few shakes in the breaths.

Epona came trotting

"Come on girl. Let's go to Kakariko."

* * *

Sheik was tired.

With the Seven Years' War taking out most of Hyrule's urban areas, a lot of the surviving Hylian population had left. The ones that hadn't…well, a lot had also perished under the attacks, with small cities burning down during Ganondorf's occupation. Most of Kakariko's population was spared from the attacks, some of the refugees moving his into the village, but there were more physical damages than anything.

It was a difficult time to go through at age eleven. The Hyruleans that survived the bloodshed left the kingdom as refugees. During that time, Sheik didn't have a home.

It was rough.

Sheik was a patient person in theory, so he wasn't as upset when his aunt made contact with him years later.

When Impa finally reached out on his fifteenth birthday, like she had promised to him during the night of the attack, he learned who he was meant to be. He was part of the prophecy by the goddesses that they themselves etched into the metaphorical (or knowing how cryptic the goddesses are, the possibly quite literal) stone pillar of fate. had been set before he was born.

On his fifteenth birthday, Sheik learned and accepted of his role as the Guide of Time.

The role came with rules. Interaction with the Hero must be kept to a minimum in order to keep him from being distracted from saving Hyrule. The goddesses mustn't have thought ahead of time just how annoyed Link got whenever Sheik teleported away from him with a Deku Nut. Sheik was perceptive: what kind of Sheikah would he be if he wasn't?

Not being able to help the Hero was the downside of the rule. Which was a shame, because Link seemed like a pretty nice person to be around.

But Sheik wasn't planning to go about a sitting cucco and do absolutely nothing while Link wasn't available. The way Sheik saw it, it was that he wasn't a stranger to the village. He was born in Kakariko too, a few months before the princess was born, and the village was his home just as much as it is Impa's.

At age fifteen, he also took the official role of looking out for his aunt's hometown.

In the beginning, it had been more in accommodating everything. He helped repair and rebuild the buildings that were affected by the brunt or aftershocks of the attacks. He helped the bazaar owner transfer his inventory to an unoccupied building.

They had built a second narrow staircase to create a shortcut to Impa's.

That was three years ago.

Now, at the age of eighteen, Sheik did a little bit of everything around the village: he helped make red potions, sow up old blankets with Anju or make new ones entirely, deliver out lumber. Since the population of the village was way less than thirty, it was easier to keep track on who needed what in terms of supplies. It wasn't too bad, but it was a lot of work.

Needless to say, Sheik was tired.

Every abled villager pitched in with anyway they could, let it be in collecting herbs for medicine or chopping up wood for lumber, It was hard work between limited people, but it was enough. Some villagers were too old or, in the unfortunate case of the family with the Skulltula curse, unable to use their body at all. He checked in with the family-made sure that the ones who were broken from it had enough to eat, and enough lumber for the winter.

No one would go unforgotten.

The climate in Kakariko Village was predictable; mild springs, hot and humid summers, dry falls, but above all, harsh and long winters. Some years were dry, others were humid, and from the bite in the air, it was going to be a humid winter.

Humid winters were the worst.

Light snow already started filling the ground and feeling the sharpness in the air, more would come. Maybe even a snowstorm.

His aunt wants to see the village grow into a city, and he intends to make that happen. And well, he loved the people in Kakariko. For once, he wasn't discriminated.

Here, he was Sheik. Just Sheik. He wasn't seen as or called by the different slurs and derogatory names he and Impa had to deal with while in Castle Town. Not the nephew of Impa, the traitor to the Sheikah.

Of course, things weren't perfect. There was always that uneasy feeling that followed Sheik that startlingly felt like he was being stalked by an unknown predator. The Stray Hellion Cuccos, as he called them, roaming around the village drove him up the wall.

Anju's brother, Grog? Rumor had it he disappeared in the Lost Woods and became a Stalfos. And judging from the sad look on the redhead's face when she mentioned his name, Sheik knew it was true.

The Medicine Potion Shop owner-a kind loving man named Diego-had survived the initial attack in Castle Town. He lost his shop and moved to the village permanently to live with his partner, Baito, an easygoing yet somewhat lazy mailman that did nothing but sit on a rooftop and stare at Death Mountain all day long.

The burn marks on Diego's arms were enough evidence on their own about how much chaos and loss was suffered too much during the occupation of Ganondorf. And the mental trauma that came with it…Goddesses, if it were up to Sheik, he would kill Ganondorf himself.

He knew the village and the people like the back of his hand and by the Triforce, he would not let anyone suffer anymore.

He had a few more days until he returned to the Water Temple and redirected Link to his next destination. Out of the estimated time of completion for each temple being four to five days, Link had so far done two and a half. Considering how difficult and stressful the Water Temple had been when he had to briefly cross it once, it would probably take the Hero of Time five days.

Good deeds pay off, though; Anju had sent him home with a basket of warm rolls and Mutoh had lumber delivered to Impa's doorstep to last him throughout the week.

For dinner, Sheik fixed a small pot of beef stew and ate with a bread roll, also making himself a mug of chamomile tea. He took a long bath, enjoying the luxury of being in hot water and feeling all the tensions from his muscles ease down. He was tired, so tired, from spending all day walking around the village and helping the people get ready for the incoming snowfall. He made frequent trips to the stream outside the village to collect water, seeing that the barely halfway filled well was most likely going to freeze over sometime soon.

Now, he was dry and clothed, a heavy book written in Sheikah resting open on his lap. He had been reading it in excerpts throughout the week when he wasn't busy.

But now, under the roof of his aunt's modest house, Sheik could finally relax and feel completely at himself than ever before. In here, he didn't have to wear his cowl and turban. He didn't have to wear the thickened variant for winter of his Sheikah uniform. His cowl was gone, deemed unnecessary since he was in the privacy of his own warm home. Professionalism was left at the doorstep and replaced with basic comfort, basic comfort being his bed clothes; a thick dark blue sweater, wool socks and black pants. Sometimes, he wore a different sweater, but it was always blue.

On the small bedside table, three candles made from vanilla scented wax lit up Sheik's bed space, the smell drifting around the room. The light and aroma was calming, gently swaying him to sleep.

The gentle crackles of the fire were the only source of noise that he had aside from his own breathing and occasional page turning.

Eventually, he let the book fall shut from his fingers, knowing that he marked his current page was marked with a scrap piece of paper. He blew out the candles, shoving the warm wax stained plate slightly in order to to let the book rest next to it.

Tired, he burrowed his head into his sleeves, curling the blankets around him tightly and as snugly as he could muster. The rain began turning into snow and he could feel the strength of the wind even through the concrete walls. Sheik's blond hair was loose and wavy and this was the only chance he got really to wear it without any form of braid.

Sleep.

Yeah. He needed sleep.

He mentally counted numbers in Sheikah until he passed out and fell asleep.

* * *

Sheik was awoken by the sound of metal slightly clattering in the kitchen.

There was an intruder.

In an instant, Sheik reached for his hidden knife and jumped into an attacking position on the bed. The intruder couldn't get far.

The clattering continued and when Sheik finally spotted them, he threw his knife and heard it stab into the wall, the cement slightly cracking.

 _Wait, what?_

It was then when he heard the sound of a small fairy shrieking.

 _Oh Din, that's Navi._

"Sheik!"

"Navi?"

She probably came in through the small chimney vent he had near the stove.

"You nearly killed me!"

"Are you alright?" With a quick flick of his hands, Sheik lit the candles next to him back up again, providing more lighting in the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Link is hurt!"

Shit.

Sheik already started moving off the bed and to the stairwell to lace up the brown boots. "Where is he exactly?" he asked.

"He's in the entrance of the village. It's bad, Sheik. It's really, really, really bad!"

"Give me a minute to get dressed."

He slid off the ledge to the first floor.

"Is he alone?" he asked as the fairy followed him.

"Epona is with him."

He pushed back the beaded curtains that covered what was considered to be the closet. Wool coats were zipped up on clothes hangers and scarves were folded neatly in the small cubicles. Finding the warmest scarf, Sheik grabbed it and wrapped it around his lower face, serving the double purpose to protect his lower face from the cold wind and also acting as a temporal cowl.

Opening the door, Sheik stepped aside and said, "Lead the way, Navi."

The fairy was out of the house before he could finish the sentence.

* * *

Even with the scarf tight around his mouth, Sheik could feel the cold chill of the air biting at his skin. The air felt thicker, with the wind picking up speed. He shivered and broke into a sprint, following the small ball of light that was Navi as she darted her tiny wings into the direction of the stairs. The already clumped up snow crunched under Sheik's steps enough to leave imprints on the ground. So far, it was a thin layer of a few centimeters, but it would only increase with time, and the wind was picking up speed too.

Sheik vaguely regretted not grabbing a blanket to wrap Link with. But then again, it would have gotten wet with the snowfall picking up pace and that would not do any favors for the currently passed out Link.

And fuck.

It was _bad._

Judging from the position of Link laying face down in the ground, Sheik deduced that he had fallen off his horse.

"No!" Navi flew right by Sheik and to Link, the fairy companion anxiously hovering around him.

Three large scars ran longways across Link's back. Some blood already soaked onto the ground. His Zora tunic was done for.

Sheik cursed in Sheikah under his breath as he kneeled down on the ground and gingerly lifted Link up by the arms. And by the Goddesses, the Hero of Time was _heavy_ in muscle mass. The weight was unexpected and Sheik nearly slipped in the snow. He grounded his footing better and moved Link to where he was leaning on Sheik's back on his stomach, his bleeding back exposed to the winter air.

If he didn't get any red potion in him, Link was going to die.

Slightly straining under the weight, Sheik said "Epona, I'll get you in a stable soon, okay?"

The horse neighed in response, almost as if she was rushing Sheik to keep Link alive.

As Sheik ran as fast as he could up the stairs with a fully grown bleeding hero on his back, he remembered the rules that the goddesses had ingrained into him. Do not interfere with the hero.

By Din's fire, the goddesses were going to kill him for this.

But with no hero, comes no prophecy, comes no saving of Hyrule. And they wouldn't want that now, would they?

 _Okay Link, let's get you patched up._

* * *

 **Yes, I am tired. I'm also rather shitty with fight scenes, so forgive me. This is unbeta'd btw and its 4 am and i am tired. No, this won't be a love at first sight fic, trust me, it's gonna be long and fun and a slooooooooow buuuuuurn. B)**

 **Follow me on tumblr: thechosenone305. Drop by and say hi! And thank y'all for reading; comments are most certainly welcome! 3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey y'all! It took way longer than it should have to update. College has been all sorts of whirlwinds and whirlpools so I've been having a blast. Finishing this chapter was an adventure, I'm telling you.**

* * *

Safety

* * *

"Shit."

Sheik laid Link down onto the leather couch. By the three, there really was no form of salvaging the tunic. It was hidden by the shield, but the side with the cuts was practically torn to shreds.

Sheik uttered a curse under his breath when he saw the damage. This really was bad.

There was a lot of blood. More blood than Sheik accounted for.

 _Okay, keep calm. Keep calm, Sheik. Be calm. You need to be calm for this._

"What are you going to do?" Navi asked, voice high with panic.

"Okay, Navi. I'm going to run across the village to get some red potion."

"You're going to leave me here?!"

"I will be right back!"

"What do I do until then?!"

"Pray!" Sheik slammed the door behind him.

* * *

He skipped the stairs and jumped off the ledge from the house, nearly slipping and falling face first in the process. The snow had accumulated little half past the heel of his boot. He sprinted across the snow covered grass, feeling his weight against his heel with every sharp jump and how hard his heart was beating in adenaline.

One thing Sheik was glad for was not having to carry a weapon in Kakariko. Not that he needed one to take someone down - he was no novice- but it wouldn't add to the weight. Taking off Link's shield and sword and having the sudden heavy weight on one arm reminded him how annoying carrying multiple knives can be.

He ran up the stair cases and almost slipped again while doing so. Normally Sheik would knock calmly, but he had a bleeding hero on his couch and he wasn't in any sort of from for courtesy.

So he wasn't sorry when he banged on the front door of Diego and Baito's house.

"Who is it?" Baito's voice rang out, slightly muffled through the thick mahogany door.

"It's Sheik! Please hurry, it's urgent!" Sheik called through the thickness of the door.

"Dear Din, quit your yammering, I'm coming."

Baito had a blanket wrapped around him when he answered the door.

"Sheik?" he asked.

"Baito, let me speak to Diego."

"What for?" he asked.

"I need medicine," Sheik said. "It's an emergency."

"Honey? Who is it?" Diego's voice echoed from the back area where he and Baito resided.

"It's Sheik. Says he needs your help."

"Let him in, you heathen!" Diego called out.

"...Did my own husband just call me a heathen?" Baito muttered but nevertheless let Sheik in.

"Good Din! What happened?! Why are you covered in blood?" Diego exclaimed.

Out of breath, Sheik shook his head. "Not...Not my own. Diego, I am so sorry to bother you especially at this hour, but my friend is badly hurt and I'm out of red potion."

"Name his symptoms," Diego moved behind the counter and started to look through the cabinets.

"It was a wild Wolfo animal attack. Three very deep lacerations on his back," Sheik said, before adding "The cuts were clawed through."

"By the goddesses," Diego muttered under his breath before pushing a roll of thick gauze on the counter. "How much blood?"

"Shit, uh...It's a lot. I stopped the bleeding as best as I could but he lost a lot of blood. He was in cold water too, so possibly hypothermia. I'm keeping him as warm as I can in my house. I don't have many bandages, not thick ones."

"Why or where your friend took a swim in this weather is beyond me. Here," Diego handed him two filled bottles of red potion. "Don't give him more than two bottles. The bandages should be sufficient enough. Come back tomorrow so I can give you herbs for pain and blood recovery. Right now, he needs a lot of rest and to be kept warm."

"Thank you, Diego."

"You're welcome, my friend. Now go! Good luck!"

* * *

Bandaging the wounds themselves was going to be easy: Sheik already had practical experience from daily finger wrapping. Diego had given him a _lot_ of bandage. And if all else failed, he could go for an old shirt.

Using a knife, Sheik cut away the Zora tunic and tossed the bloodied remnants to the side. The hat was a bit bloodstained too. The blood didn't stop dripping from his wound.

Link laid on his stomach, unconscious to the world. His skin was pink, achingly pink.

 _Shit, he fell off his horse face first into the snow._

The red potion was going to be a problem.

To Sheik's knowledge, you couldn't apply red potion onto a gauze and expect it to work. It had to be drank to have an immediate effect. Medicine that was specifically for open wounds were a kind that were much too expensive and practically non-existent in Kakariko.

"Please forgive me."

With some difficulty, Sheik managed to get Link to drink the potion in his sleep. Link choked a little bit but a pinch to the nose and a careful tilt back of his head, Link managed to drink the rest of the potion.

Even in his unconsciousness, Link winced at the taste.

In relief, Sheik slumped onto the floor.

Fuck.

 _That was too damn close._

His head

He almost died.

So much for treating himself to wear his favorite sweater to bed.

 _You're fine. Stop shaking, it's not that cold inside. Calm down._

The gray wall radiated coldness coming from the outside. He made a mental note to make sure to wash his sweater with the rest of his dirty clothes sometime during the week.

Sheik's hands were covered in blood that wasn't his own.

Link's blood dripped from his fingers and into the sink,

 _Focus, Sheik. Focus. You're not eleven anymore. This isn't home. You're eighteen. You're an adult, you're alive._

He wasn't eleven years old anymore. He wasn't in the Castle. No, no, no, no, he was in Kakariko. He's eighteen, in Kakariko Village, in his aunt's house. He was safe. The hero was safe, he was safe. No one was going to harm him here.

Shakily, Sheik let the tap run, wincing at the force of cold water against his hands. The change in temperature brought him to reality and out of the memory. He was here, in Kakariko Village, in Impa's house. The Hero was safe. He was safe.

After a few moments of watching the blood rinse off his hands and into the drain, Sheik took a deep breath and shut the faucet off. He dried his hands on a towel, remembering what he was going to do.

Change clothes, get blankets for Link.

Sheik went to the beaded curtains and grabbed the first set of sleeping wear he could find. Changing into it, he tossed the blood stained clothes he once wore into a dirty laundry basket and found two thick blankets that he carried out to the couch.

"I'd let Link borrow some of my clothes," Sheik said to Navi as he unfolded the blanket. "But he's more broad shouldered than me."

"The blanket looks warm enough. Anything beats the outside."

"Fair point," Sheik tucked in the blanket around Link's sleeping form. "So how was the Water Temple?"

"Worse than I imagined it would have been," Navi said.

"Yet you passed it in two days"

"Was it two days?" Navi asked. "It felt longer."

Sheik sat down in front of the fireplace,

"It was a stressful experience. We made it through as best as we could. Link was frustrated the whole time. I tried to reassure him but he doesn't like being coddled. You weren't outside when we exited the temple," Navi said.

"Yeah, that's on me," Sheik said. "I expected for you both to take four days, maybe five. It's the usual amount of time it takes to complete a temple. I'm really sorry, Navi. Had I been there on time, none of this would have happened."

"You didn't have any form of knowing," Navi said. "You always leave after we finish a temple. Like you have more important stuff to do."

"Again, I'm sorry," Sheik said. "I really am. I'm a Guide, Navi. I can only do so much. Rules from the three made it very explicit to not interfere with his journey."

"What matters is that you helped us now."

Sheik covered Link with one blanket. It would get colder during the latter part of the night, especially with the increasing snow. He chose to not sleep in his bed just in case Link woke up during the night. Not to mention that sometimes, the warmth didn't reach the upper level.

Sheik added a few new pieces of firewood and with Din's Fire, started up the chimney again.

He sighed and laid down on the floor next to the couch, leaving a gap in between the couch and himself just in case Link woke up before him.

"You have Din's Fire?" Navi asked.

"The Great Fairy blessed me with it when I was very young," Sheik said. "It has some uses aside from cooking up a mean steak."

"You are not what I expected."

"I'm much more eloquent when I have at least six hours of sleep."

"I sleep when Link is awake," Navi said. "So you can rest if you want to."

"Wake me up in case of anything," Sheik said.

"Will do."

* * *

 **It's 5 AM and I need to go to sleep. I will edit this when I'm more awake. Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Another update? It's more likely than you think.**

* * *

To Sheik's shock, he didn't have a nightmare when he went to sleep.

Instead, he dreamed of a memory.

Through the haze of unconsciousness, Sheik recognized the place. The insufferable heat that came from the crater in Death Mountain. Of course, Sheik was being a hypocrite here: having spent a good portion of his life in the desert with the Gerudo, Sheik had become accustomed to any form of heat. It had been part of his training as a Sheikah warrior when he was young. The desert itself was harsh and unforgiving. Sheik probably still had sand in his hair to the present day.

But now, it was easier. This variant of his exoskeleton was made of similar fabric of the Goron tunic the Hero wore.

With balanced leaps, he made his way down to a portion of flat stone where he was sure he was going to cross paths with Link. It wasn't like there was a telepathic connection that could have them meet in the same place at the same time. He couldn't quite yell out to Link to meet him somewhere.

But to Sheik's luck, the yelling was done for him.

"At the end of the day, it wasn't Ganondorf who brought down the Hero of Time...It was Death Mountain!"

An irritated voice that unmistakably belonged to Link.

Sheik followed the noise and turned a few corners. Like he had guessed, it was the Hero of Time.

...Who was laying down on the stone floor of a flat ledge.

Link's skin was flushed and shiny with sweat, blonde bangs peeking out of his red hat and sticking to his forehead. From the slight distance, Sheik could see a few burns here and there; turns out that the Goron tunic delayed the damage from the burn, not gave him complete protection against it.

Link wasn't accustomed to the heat like Sheik and the lack of heat tolerance was evident.

"Navs, how the hell can you stand this heat?" Link panted out. "It's terrible!"

"Link, we've only been here for fifteen minutes."

Link groaned.

"Quit whining and get up."

"I give up."

"Link, please."

"It's okay, I'm not the only blonde hair, blue eye Hylian out there. I learned sword fighting from fighting rocks. It won't be that hard. Someone can replace me, take up the mantle of being the Hero of Time. It's no big deal. I got no one left to lose anyway."

The tone was nonchalant but by the goddesses, that was pretty dark.

"Now that's unrealistic."

Link threw his arm over his eyes and chided back with "You're unrealistic."

Awkwardly, Sheik cleared his throat as loud as he could without being obnoxious.

Link jumped up, hand going to his sword out of habit.

"Relax Link," Sheik said. "It's just me."

"Oh. Hey Sheik. For future reference, can we meet somewhere less suffocating? Like Hyrule Field?"

"Unfortunately, there isn't a temple in Hyrule Field."

"Now that's inconvenient."

Sheik let out a slight laugh. "Quite. Now, onto why I'm here."

"I need to learn a song."

"Correct."

Link pulled out his ocarina, flexing his fingers against the surface as he got a solid grip. "Hit me when you're ready."

Sheik followed suit and unhooked his lyre from his back strap. "It is something that grows over time... a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time. The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and through it, you know which way to go... This song is dedicated to the power of the heart... Listen to the Bolero of Fire..."

Sheik taught him the song and like before, Link replicated the notes. There was a brief duet between the two, with soft notes filling the air.

"Thanks," Link said to Sheik.

"It's my job."

"Still though, thank you."

Appreciating the sentiment, Sheik nodded. "Thank you, Link."

He put away his lyre and began walking backwards.

"You didn't hear it from me, but..." Sheik paused and grabbed a Deku nut. "There's a secret entrance to the Fire Temple through Goron City."

"Wait, what?"

"Good luck." Sheik threw the nut downwards.

"Wait! Shei-"

 _Clang_.

Link immediately covered his eyes with his arm, barely missing the stunning effect of the Deku Nut.

By the time he looked up, Sheik was gone.

* * *

Sheik woke up the next morning to a sore neck and a sleeping Link.

He really thought that sleeping without a pillow on the hardwood floor was going to be a good idea. Thankfully, he was kept warm but his neck still hurt a lot.

The fireplace still crackled softly and lit up the living area, the curtains blocking out most of the natural light. Normally, they would be withdrawn but doing so with the snowstorm, it would only emit more coldness.

Sheik really regretted not being in his bed.

He grumbled and curled the blanket into himself, figuring to might as well preserve heat with what he could. Maybe catch some more shut eye...

Wait.

Link.

Wolfo attack.

Visiting Diego.

Being productive.

 _Ugh._

After many moments of debating, Sheik slowly sat up. His hair was a mess, tangled in a mess bedhead. How he had a bedhead from sleeping on the floor, Din knew.

"Good morning," Navi said gently.

"Hey Navi," Sheik rubbed his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. How about Link?"

"He slept all night."

With some difficulty, he stood up, stretching and hearing his joints crack as he did so.

Sheik pressed two fingers to the pulse point against Link's exposed neck. In relief, he felt gentle, present heartbeats against his warm skin.

He was going to be okay.

"He's okay," Sheik said to Navi. "Heartbeat is stable. Link is going to be okay."

"That's relieving to hear."

Sheik moved to change into different clothes. Turban and cowl included. The noise of pots clattering around would wake up Link. He added more firewood.

"I'm going to meet with Diego to get more medicine. Blood recovery and all. I should be gone for about five to ten minutes. Think you will be okay?"

"Yes. Link's been through this before with red potion taking effect. All he needs is sleep."

With that reassurance, Sheik found himself yet again at the entrance of Diego's shop.

* * *

"Good morning."

"Sheik, hello!" Diego greeted him brightly. "How's your friend doing?"

"Better, thanks to you."

"I'm glad. Here, I just made some tea. Take a seat."

"I do not want to intrude."

"You look like you need something warm."

Historically, Sheik remembered reading how the Sheikah were not allowed to indulge themselves in pleasurable things. Traditionally, they placed the benefit and needs of the Royal Family above their own.

But now, there wasn't any Royal Family to serve.

It was well known that Sheik loved Zelda like a sister. He would do anything for her and it was true that he worried about her.

Had he not had the task of being the Guide of Time, or aiding in the village with the aftermath of the attacks all those years ago, he would have set out on a journey to find Zelda by himself.

The Queen of Hyrule herself wasn't a bad person. The King…

Sheik wasn't shedding any form of tears when he heard he died.

They were small old habits he was still subconsciously hanging on. He wore his cowl traditionally out of modesty and self protection. It was a choice; he didn't have to wear it daily, he just chose to. A small nod to honor his heritage.

The temptation of the sweet scent of the tea hung in the air and Sheik knew just how deep his own weakness was for anything sugary.

It was so tempting to give in…

"Ten minutes of your time with warm hibiscus tea. How's that for a plan?"

So he did.

"Okay."

"Fantastic!" Diego grabbed a second cup and motioned Sheik to follow him past the counter and into the hallway.

The hallway was wide and candle lit, lead to a back exit

One corner of the back area served as an inventory type of keeper. had a desk covered with inventory logs of the shop and a short shelf filled with books and empty bottles.

The kitchenette was small and practical, similar to how Sheik had it set up in Impa's house. It lacked the hanging pans and bottom cabinets, instead just having more exposed ledges and shelves to keep things at reach.

A large woven rug was on the floor in front of the chimney. The bed was against a corner with a small bedside table. It was messy and unmade, slept in. Some mornings that Sheik followed Diego to the back for whichever reason, he would often see Baito asleep under a bundle of blankets.

"Where's Baito?" Sheik asked.

"Believe it or not, Baito is actually wearing a coat, pants and socks for once in his entire life," Diego moved the "He's been shovelling snow in the back all morning for Gertie."

"That's a shocker."

"Agreed," Diego said as he poured the hibiscus tea into two metal cups.

All the ceramics the shopkeeper owned were reserved for Baito's grandmother, who was the mastermind behind the potion making.

Sheik wouldn't mind the heat coming from the metal. Even though he wore the thickest gloves he owned, his fingers were cold to the bone, The chimney emitted a warmth presence into the room, Sheik feeling his fingers slowly warm up through the gloves. He lowered his cowl and pushed it out of the way. He knew what was underneath it; a scar that ran from the right side of his lip all the way down to his chin. It had diminished slightly over the seven years, but it was still present.

Being in the village and working closely with Diego, the shopkeeper had seen his face before. He bared no judgement and didn't ask questions of the origin of it, a gesture that Sheik appreciated. They each had their own reminders, some physical, some mental, of just how terrible Ganondorf's siege of Castle Town had been.

At the taste, Sheik sighed. The sweetness of the tea made him relax significantly.

"I take it you like it?" Diego asked.

"Yes, it's absolutely amazing."

"Thank you. It's my favorite to make."

 _Focus on the petals, not the color. Blood doesn't taste sweet._

"Are you okay?"

Sheik cleared his throat. "Me? I'm fine."

"You're being very quiet."

"I'm always quiet."

"That's a lie. I have seen you with Anju. You two gossip up a hurricane."

Diego meant well. He always did.

"Well, I need to keep up some shroud of mystery," Sheik said with a small smile. "At least a little bit."

"Riiight," Diego drawled out.

"I appreciate the concern. But I'm fine, really. Last night was a bit of a close call and the situation...caught me off guard," Sheik said. "But it's okay now."

"How is your friend doing, by the way?"

"His heart is still beating and he still breathing," Sheik drank from his cup. "So I'm immensely relieved."

"I'm glad to hear."

Sheik wouldn't want to think of what would happen had he not reached the shop in time and gotten all the potions needed to help heal Link.

"Forty rupees?"

"No, Sheik. Free of charge."

"Seriously, how much is it?"

"Nothing," Diego said. "Sheik, you do more than enough for this village. Those red potions were just symbols of my gratitude. Many places wouldn't accept Baito and I living together but this place? It's safe. It's one I am proud to call home."

"You spend so much time to help us. You take the time to help all of us. You're a good person with a good heart and you like doing this. You like helping people. I can't and won't charge you. Not when you've spent the past three years helping us."

Sheik was speechless.

"The hero's presence here is safe with me. You know we would never dare out one of our own in the village. Don't be a sitting Cucco! Go! Your friend needs you! If you need more herbs, just drop by."

"Thank you, Diego."

And with that, Sheik left.

* * *

 **I bumped up the rating in advance of the incoming violence throughout the AU. I know I'm deviating a lot from canon but...fuck it, it's an AU. I'll fix the mistakes later, it's 5 am. Thank you for reading! Reviews are deeply appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer is the same: enjoy!**

* * *

Sheik was in higher spirits, per say.

The tea had made his mood a little bit better and after a few more goodbyes (and promises to bring Link to see Diego for a look over once he was better recovered), Sheik stepped out the

Then the headache came.

The goddesses were calling him.

 _Shit, now? Of all times, right NOW?!_

"Shit," Sheik kept a good grip on the bottles and bandages and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the force of magic that could only come from the creators of the planet themselves.

Had it not been for the footprints of the snow where he stood, it was like he was never there.

* * *

Coming out of the teleportation magic without the Triforce platform was the _least_ preferred way to travel. The platform subdued the intensity of the warp magic, making the pounding headache Sheik was suffering through now feel like a dull thud.

The bottles and bandages scattered on as Sheik stumbled onto his knees on top of the empty Master Sword platform. Dizziness coughing and coughing.'s heart was beating rapid as he coughed and coughed,

And the goddesses were pissed off.

The goddesses were sisters, each personality as unique as their gifts. Farore was calm, full of wisdom. Nayru was bright, full of energy. She reminded Sheik of Zelda, if she were a holy deity that is. Din…

Din was on a whole different level. A different wavelength. Goddess or not, her voice could fill the biggest room, temper was just as fiery as her gift. She was blunt, words as harsh as the desert winds.

Sheik rubbed at his temples, feeling the pounding of the headache. He hated it, _abhorred_ it even, when they called him in for an update.

Or, how he called it, a lecture.

Their forms were as tall as the Temple of Time, stained glass windows only accentuating their vivid colors. Farore stood in the middle, the goddess of courage

"Why isn't the Hero at the Shadow Temple yet?" Farore asked.

 _Wow, you're really cutting to the chase._

"A warning would have been appreciated!" Sheik exclaimed.

"Answer the question," Farore said simply, crossing her arms. "The water sage is in the chamber, so why isn't he in the Shadow Temple?"

"You're not going to like this but…" Sheik sighed. No use in lying anyways. "The Hero got seriously attacked by a Wolfo and as of right now, he is in my house resting."

"By our names, what were you thinking?!" Din exclaimed. "You brought the hero to your home?!"

Oh he was going to be here a while.

Sheik crossed his arms. "No hero, no prophecy," he said simply. "I did what I thought was best."

"You're to keep interactions with the Hero to a minimum," Nayru said. "We've been over this, Guide."

"And I have!" Sheik protested. "It's what I've been doing this whole time."

Sheik wanted to help him. He wanted to help keep him out of harm's way. Eyes in the sky, an extra companion. Sheik had over a decade of training. He had traveled all over the kingdom, had experience in combat.

"Evidently not. He's in your home. You altered fate," Farore noted.

"No, I _used_ my judgement. Last night, Navi came to me in a panic because Link got attacked by three Wolfos. Had I waited any longer, he would have either frozen or bled to death. Which are both fates that I did _not_ want to happen and I think it's fair to assume that you wouldn't want to have happened either."

Link had nothing.

Link was learning as he went, being thrusted into each temple. The gifts from the goddesses were only aid and Link wasn't as trained as Sheik to control how much magic he used. Link didn't have Impa teach him multiple fighting styles. Link didn't have the many summers Sheik spent in the Gerudo Valley, training amongst their strongest warriors. Instead Link was victim of a prophecy that he couldn't do much about. A prophecy and a war that had left him bleeding out in the snow.

Maybe, had the goddesses chosen to have Link be trained throughout the seven years he spent in a coma, things would have been different and Sheik wouldn't be having that conversation with them now.

If the goddesses wrote the prophecy, then why couldn't he be an active part of it?

"I couldn't leave the Hero to bleed to death."

 _And evidently, none of you weren't going to help him out any time soon._

It was a good thing that the goddesses couldn't read minds.

Because Sheik was really tired of their bullshit.

Sheik could feel the glares of the three on him. "In the moment, I made a decision," he said. "It was either help the hero live or leave him behind in the snow and let him _and_ the kingdom die. Snow Wolfos attacked him coming out of Lake Hylia. There is no way he could have anticipated the heaviness of the snowstorm while he was in the Water Temple. So he's in my house and I'm going to help him recover for as long as it takes."

"What's the plan from here then?" Nayru asked. She liked finality, wanted facts.

"Let the Hero rest," Sheik said. "The claws cut in too deep and he lost a lot of blood. There is a possibility of a few broken bones. Once he recovers, I will escort him up to Death Mountain to see the Great Fairy so he can replenish his magic and from there, I'll teach him the Nocturne of Shadow."

"This wasn't anticipated," Farore said.

"There are not _any_ guarantees when you make a prophecy," Sheik said.

"We're on a time table, Sheik," Nayru spoke up for the first time.

You know there will be consequences, Sheik."

"I'm aware. But if the consequences in reference mean letting the Hero live, then it would be worth it."

Sheik was playing with Din's Fire, and he knew it. But he couldn't stand biting back his tongue anymore. He had a place to be, someone to help. And the goddesses were preventing it.

"You have your role to play, Sheik. Stick to it."

* * *

All the previous times the goddesses interrupted him for a lecture, he would be teleported back to where he originally was standing. But instead, he was warped to the Triforce platform in the cemetery. Further away from his destination and another reminder of what he was supposed to be doing (the Shadow Temple) at least 'according to the prophecy.'

Okay. So the goddesses were being petty about this. Cool.

Sheik rubbed at his eyes and started gathering the fallen bottles and bandages stepped off the platform and into the slight crunch of the snow under his boots. The cemetery was cold and silent, snow covering gravestones around him.

The last time Impa had spoken with Sheik, she had said a comment that initially Sheik had shrugged off. Back when he was in the castle with Zelda, they were nothing but troublemakers. e goddesses are going to wake up and realize they have had enough of Sheik's attitude and they were going to smite him.

"One of these days, that smart mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble. And by trouble, I mean that you're going to say something that goddesses are going to despise and they're going to smite you."

And well, she was right.

It was a rather cruel thing to say, now that Sheik thought about it. But it was true.

If Impa were listening to the lecture and how Sheik kept biting back, she would have _long_ ago dragged him out by the ear and given him a much bigger lecture than the goddesses were giving them right now.

Sheik tried not to be too harsh in terms of his aunt. Yes, he was in another part of the castle when the siege started. Yes, there was no possible way she could have reached him. Her priority was and always will be the safety of Zelda.

Maybe it was the abandonment in him speaking, but it surely couldn't have killed her to reach out a little bit earlier. Right? Could have sent a messenger with the Gerudo, etched something in Sheikah on a tree. Used a damned _gossip_ stone. She knew the secret tunnels and paths through the lost woods. She taught him the warp songs. She could have used them this whole time, but chose not to.

 _Well Auntie Impa, the goddesses haven't smited me yet, so I say I count that as a win._

He wasn't expendable. He was part of the prophecy. More of a footnote than a contribution like Link was, but part of it nonetheless.

He kept on walking and mentally prepared himself for the path ahead of him, knowing that he was heavily delaying and without a plan in mind. How bad were Link's injuries? How long would the prophecy have to wait? Just how the hell did the Wolfos get so much more powerful? Why was the snowstorm so early in the season?

The goddesses were baffled at the thought of things not going to plan. And Sheik could see why. Deities didn't know what it was like to have things vanish in a blink of an eye. Or for one piece to fall and for the effects to suddenly follow.

Leaving the cemetery, Sheik realized that of course the prophecy makers didn't see it coming. They etched fate into stone. They were too ahead of themselves. The goddesses were learning that in life, nothing _ever_ goes as planned, all at the expense of Link being suddenly out of commission.

With the hero in mind, Sheik picked up his pace a little bit more faster.

* * *

 **I know, it took me forever. But I'm back! Sheik is the true wild card in the making. Thank you for reading! Next update will be in Link's POV and I'm very excited for that! Reviews are welcome!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heavily inspired by one of Congruent's arcs. Thank you sincosma.**

* * *

Link of Nothing

* * *

The Water Temple was the worst place Link had ever been to.

Then again, in his fairly (limited) life so far, he hadn't been to a lot of places. His entire childhood was spent in the Kokiri Forest, getting to know the Lost Woods closely, as he would hide there from when bullying from Mido became too much.

Before Navi showed up and changed the path of his life, Link spent his days sleeping too much. He could sleep anywhere: playing in the stream and going berry picking with Saria. He listened to

When Link would get stressed, he would go to the Lost Woods.

They would make a game of it. Link would have to go through the lost woods to find her, keeping a sharp ear for the sound her ocarina. He would run into Skull Kid sometimes,

In a way, he guessed he was already training for being the Hero of Time as a child in the Kokiri Forest. He fought off Skulltulas with rocks and promptly got chased by them too. He sword fought with Jin, one of the Know-It-All brothers, with strong vine branches that would fall from the wall. He climbed his way up his treehouse when Mido thought it would be funny to cut off his ladder and hide it. He knew which berries were poisonous thanks to Fado and what leaves were adequate for bandages and what herbs he could make into a tea for a late dinner.

He made fires from dried out grass when the nights got too cold.

Now as an adult, he knew that his 'training', back then, was just considered survival.

His childhood in the forest did help him now.

Kakariko Village was the place he wished he could spend more time in, but he didn't get a chance to due to the whole thing that was having to save the kingdom.

He spent more time with Malon in Lon Lon Ranch, what with Malon having a bed for him that he could spend the night and a steady supply of milk for the morning.

He had not yet gotten a chance to explore the desert, though he heard so much about it. The walk to Goron City was a long one, but it was worth it for the unique and genuine kindness of the Gorons.

But nothing prepared him for the water temple.

Inside the Water Temple, everything was warm, packed with humidity to the point taking a breath hurt. Over time of walking and swimming, the muscles in Link's legs became sore, especially when he had to use the iron boots.

Until he couldn't stand it.

After evading an attack from some underwater clams, Link swam upwards.

With a gasp, he emerged from the sunken entrance of the water temple. The air was cold with a bite to the wind, completely different than the stagnant, lukewarm air of the temple. Link panted for air, coughing a little bit. His ears were close to popping, yet not quite there.

He hoisted himself onto the ground, the dirt from the dried up lake floor sticking onto his wet leggings. He let the longshot drop next to him with a loud clatter, water in his boots sloshing in the stockings.

"What are you doing?!" Navi exclaimed. "You need to get back into the Temple."

Finally, he snapped.

"I can't do this, Navi!" he exclaimed.

"Can't do what?!" Navi asked.

"This!" Link threw his arms to the air, wildly gesturing to the dried lake around him. "All of this! This-this _hero_ thing! Saving the kingdom! Being the chosen one! It's too much for me, Navi!"

He didn't know where it came from. He didn't know how it happened but when the dam broke, he couldn't stop it.

"I'm the wrong guy for this, Navs. I can't do it."

He knew realistically, there wasn't anything he could do under the circumstances he was in. He _had_ to save Hyrule, no matter how under qualified he was. He _had_ to grow up extremely fast. It was fate, set in stone hundreds upon thousands of years before he was born. He _had_ to be the child of parents he never knew. Every misfortune that happened to him had to happen because of a damned prophecy. Every injury, every scare, every attack. Every loss.

Saria _had_ to die to become one of the Sages. Zelda had to go missing. He had to be the lonely wanderer in the remains of a ghost town of a kingdom.

Being a hero was something so lonesome. More lonesome than he ever thought he would be. With the capital of the kingdom empty, the towns surrounding it almost gone, there wasn't much left. Castle Town was a ghost town.

There wasn't anything left.

The remaining cilivins turned into Redeads that Link had to _kill._ He had to kill Redeads, creatures that used to be people. That used to be Hyrulians.

Everything had to happen.

And he hated it.

In frustration, Link punched at the ground next to him. "Damn it!" he shouted out, feeling the impact through his gloves. "Damn this! Do I have to be on my own?" Link asked.

"The goddesses said so," Navi said simply.

"What do they know about loneliness?! Even without the triforce, they had each other!" Link snapped. "They've had each other and the kingdom for all these years! They know nothing about being alone! Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" he grabbed the dirt from the ground and in anger, threw it to the rest of the dried out lake. "They don't know a damn thing about going out there to save the kingdom! A kingdom that I barely know, a kingdom that has done nothing for me!"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not Link of Hyrule. I'm Link of nowhere. Of nothing, Navi."

A burning sensation near his eyes. He blinked and saw drops fall down onto the ground beneath him. He was shaking, couldn't stop shaking.

When the first sob escaped, he tried to muffle it. When the second sob came out, he let it happen.

And Link broke down.

A breakdown three temples and seven slept through years in the making.

Link of nowhere.

Link of nothing.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay! Comments are welcome!**


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